Little boys' Christmas lists can be crossed off at toy store or maybe a pet store, but Mom might just have to visit John Schnaidt at Platinum Motorsports to fulfill Dad's wish list.
The ATV, snowmobile and automobile dealership opened up in August in Dickinson and has taken off since, owner Schnaidt said.
"I had a Ford pickup, it was a platinum and I loved it," he said. "That's kind of a cool name, nobody else has got it, that's what I picked. I had to wait two months before the name would clear the Secretary of State's Office so they would know it was a legit name and no one else had it."
Schnaidt worked for years at Dean Bender Chevrolet in Killdeer, and for a while after it was purchased by Sax Motor Co. He worked there until February and got the ball rolling on Platinum in March.
"I figured I could do it myself versus working for anybody," said the 15-year sales veteran. "I've been in it long enough I thought I could run it."
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Finding real estate was another matter, he did find accommodations for his business in south Dickinson.
"We started in March planning to put the building up," Schnaidt said. "It got completed about August, minus a few little things we're still waiting on."
The first vehicle he sold was a 1993 F-250 and since then business has been good.
"We kind of went from there," Schnaidt said. "We got into the ATV line, we knew we were going to do them, we just didn't have a bunch here."
Despite having no snow and recent temperatures being well above freezing, he sold quite a few snowmobiles.
Platinum recently started selling Klim outdoor clothing, Schnaidt said.
Eventually, he'd like to become a Can-Am/Ski-Doo dealer, but he needs eight employees for that to happen. Right now he works solo.
"We're going to try to be a franchise store for something," he said. "It's just a matter of time."
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There is no typical client at Platinum, everyone from oil field workers to farmers to bankers want a new "toy," he said.
"He's willing to please any customer day or night," said Pat Wanner, a neighbor in the south Dickinson complex. "He'll find you anything you want."
Platinum Motorsports is located at 377 12th St. SW in Dickinson.
Call 701-483-3412 or email
sledhunter@hotmail.com for more information.
